There is considerable consumer demand for products that freshen breath and kill bacteria in the mouth. An oral product with breath freshening and bactericidal benefits is a convenient delivery for oral cleansing in the oral cavity and freshening breath. Bacteria in the oral cavity, particularly on the tongue, can generate volatile sulfur compounds, which are a major cause of bad breath. Of course, breath freshening is a very important part of everyday life.
In order to facilitate proper oral hygiene, oral cleansing and breath freshening practices should be conducted repeatedly throughout the day. However, oral cleansing and breath freshening may be difficult or inconvenient at times, depending on the nature of the breath freshening desired and the situation in which the breath freshening must occur. Brushing, flossing, cleaning one's tongue and gargling using a variety of devices and compositions are common oral care practices well-suited for the privacy of one's home. But, such devices and compositions are less convenient to use away from the home where bathroom facilities might be scarce, unavailable or unsanitary.
Dental plaque is a microbial deposit that forms on teeth within a short time of brushing. It has been described by researchers as a soft, concentrated mass consisting mainly of a large variety of bacteria together with a certain amount of cellular debris which develops within a short time of refraining from tooth brushing. Dental plaque is not removed by rinsing with water. More recently, dental plaque has been described as a diverse community of micro-organisms found on the tooth surface as a biofilm. The biofilm is embedded in an extracellular matrix of polymers that originate from both the tooth surface and the microbial organisms. It is generally recognized that a reduction in dental plaque promotes clean teeth, fresh breath, and healthy gums. The dental plaque biofilm, however, is very resistant to antimicrobial agents.
Antimicrobial agents that have been shown to have definite plaque-reducing abilities include chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), Triclosan and Delmopinol. These are all medicinal and non-natural agents. Essential oils such as thymol, eucalyptol, methyl salicylate, and menthol along with other essential oils in an alcohol-based vehicle have also been found to reduce plaque. While thymol is most effective in reducing plaque, it has a disagreeable taste. Generally, these oils benefit from the presence of an alcohol to facilitate their solubility and penetration of the plaque biofilm. While suitable for oral treatments, such as mouthwashes, high concentrations of alcohols can leave a bitter aftertaste in oral compositions such as gums, edible films, confectioneries, and the like.
An active ingredient, or a combination of active ingredients, that can provide the benefits of either removing plaque, preventing or slowing down plaque formation, or that has an anti-inflammatory effect that would help maintain the healthy state of the gums, would promote health gums and fresh breath. It is known to incorporate active agents into chewing gums for the purpose of providing oral benefits including breath freshening and bactericidal properties. Such systems have the advantage of providing rapid, effect, and convenient delivery.